The present invention relates in general to flange insertion machinery for the internally-threaded flanges which are installed into metal drum heads. More specifically the present invention relates to such flange insertion machinery which is xe2x80x9cconvertiblexe2x80x9d so as to be able to handle a Type I (octagonal base) flange in one machinery configuration and a Type II (serrated lip) flange in a second machinery configuration. The xe2x80x9cconvertiblexe2x80x9d nature of the machinery of the present invention also extends to its use as part of a one-step insertion procedure in one mode and as part of a two-step insertion procedure in another mode.
Large, metal, drum-like containers, which are used for the shipping and storage of liquid substances, are typically fabricated with a metal drum end or head which is attached to a substantially cylindrical drum body. The contents of such containers will at some point in their life cycle need to be dispensed or emptied from the container. In order to facilitate this dispensing or emptying function and in some instances to facilitating filling, internally-threaded flanges are installed into the drum head. Since the thickness of the metal used for the drum head will not support a sufficient number of threads for proper threaded engagement, flanges which have an increased axial height are inserted so that an externally-threaded closing plug can be used. Most drums or containers of the type described use a xc2xe inch flange and cooperating plug for venting and a 2 inch outlet flange and cooperating plug for dispensing as well as for filling the container if the container is going to be recycled for reuse.
Over the years the metal drum industry has typically used two flange styles. What has become generally known as a Type I flange has an octagonal base and a raised cylindrical body which is internally threaded. The style of flange is illustrated herein by FIG. 4. The other flange style which is frequently used is what has become generally known as a Type II flange. This style of flange has an upper serrated lip and depending therefrom a generally cylindrical body which is internally threaded. This style of flange is illustrated herein by FIG. 5. The Type I style is basically the same whether in the xc2xe inch vent configuration or in the 2 inch outlet configuration. Likewise, the Type II style of flange is basically the same whether in the xc2xe inch vent configuration or in the 2 inch outlet configuration. Type I and Type II flanges including details of their insertion into drum heads are described more particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,757 to Magley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,021, to Bauman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,401 to Jesevich et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,058 to Jesevich et al., and application Ser. No. 09/444,198 entitled Tamper-Evident Drum Closure Overcap and assigned to the same assignee of the present invention, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Due in part to the size and weight of these drums, especially when filled with liquid, the installation of the flanges needs to be performed in a manner that results in a strong, durable connection and creates a connection that is leak-free. In order to achieve this type of connection, the drum head is pierced to create an opening and then formed with a drawn and contoured receiving pocket. Then, in cooperation with suitable insertion machinery and corresponding insertion dies which are designed for the specific flange size and style, the flanges are locked into position in the drum head.
The drum head must be initially pierced for the starting clearance hole for the xc2xe inch vent flange and another starting hole for the 2 inch outlet flange. A receiving pocket is then formed (drawn) around each of the corresponding pierced holes. The drawn or formed pocket has a first style for a Type I flange and a second style for a Type II flange. It is also to be understood that the pierced holes and formed pockets for each flange can be provided as part of the drum heads before these drum heads are actually delivered to the insertion machine of the present invention. At the insertion machine, the flanges are inserted (i.e., installed and anchored in position). This procedure is what is referred to and will be referred to herein as a two-step procedure. The first step is the piercing and forming. The second step is the flange insertion (into the formed pocket) and then crimping the pocket in and around the flange so as to anchor the flange in position.
It is also an option to perform the flange insertion task as a one-step procedure. In the one-step procedure, the drum head is delivered to the insertion machine without any pierced holes and without any formed pockets. Each drum head is delivered to the insertion station of the machine at which point the tooling and dies perform all elements of the task in rapid succession and all at the same location with compound tooling. The requisite hole is pierced, the metal of the head around the pierced hole is formed into a receiving pocket, the flange is inserted, and the metal formed around the pierced hole is then crimped in and around the flange so as to lock the flange in position.
For the Type I style of flange, the drawn pocket receives the octagonal base and a raised cylindrical wall is drawn at the inner edge of the pocket. The drawn pocket is crimped around the octagonal base so as to anchor that base to the drum head and prevent relative motion between the two. The cylindrical body of the flange telescopes inside of the raised cylindrical wall and is formed over the upper edge of the raised cylindrical wall. This style of final assembly is illustrated herein in FIGS. 6 and 7. It will be noted that by inserting the flange into the pocket from a direction that coincides with the inside of the drum, the flange cannot pull out. The formed over (lip) of the cylindrical body onto the raised cylindrical wall prevents push out of the flange into the interior of the drum. The crimping of the formed metal pocket around the octagonal base prevents any rotational movement of the flange relative to the drum head.
For the Type II style of flange, the drawn pocket receives the serrated lip and the cylindrical body of the flange extends into what will become the interior of the drum. The drawn pocket is crimped into and beneath the various serrations. Since there is a portion of the drawn pocket which extends over the upper surface of the serrated lip, the flange is securely anchored against push in, pull out, or rotation. The final assembly of this Type II style of flange into the pocket of the drum head is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.
In view of the differences in the two most common styles of drum head flanges, and in view of the different drum head configurations and tooling which are required, it is not surprising that the flange insertion machinery, in use before the present invention, was typically dedicated to one style of flange. Consequently, one option in order to run both styles of flanges is to have two separate insertion machines. Another option might be to run two parallel flange lines, each dedicated to a single flange style, as part of the same machine, but the cost and complexity of this approach could be prohibitive. With any automated and conveyorized design which would typically be used for high volume production, the cost of a single insertion machine is substantial. Drum manufacturers and drum head manufacturers need to have the capability of handling both styles of flanges so that they can compete for all jobs, regardless of the flange style which might be specified. If only one insertion machine is available, then that company can only compete for work for the corresponding one style of flange.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an improvement and a benefit to be able to run the two styles of flanges (Type I and Type II) on a single machine with only minimal component substitutions. While there would be some added cost for these part substitutions, this added cost is far less than the added cost to provide an entire second machine in order to be able to handle a second style of flange.
Since any significant production volume of drum heads with flanges installed must be run in an automated manner in order to be cost effective, there will typically be some type of a loading station for the flanges and for the drum heads and very likely a conveyor arrangement. In lieu of a conveyor arrangement, a rotary table might be configured to automate this process. However, in a conveyor arrangement which is believed to be the most efficient, it is important to guide the flanges and maintain proper travel and orientation of those flanges so as to avoid xe2x80x9cpiggy backingxe2x80x9d, a situation where flanges become bunched and actually ride up and over, or underneath, the immediately adjacent flange in a downstream direction. xe2x80x9cPiggy backingxe2x80x9d can lead to imprecise placement and handling of the flanges as well as machine jams and various other problems in a typical flange insertion process and machine.
In order to try and preclude the problems associated with xe2x80x9cpiggy backingxe2x80x9d, in one embodiment the present invention utilizes side rails to hold and guide the flanges to substantially reduce or eliminate flange xe2x80x9cpiggy backingxe2x80x9d. However, if these side rails have to be changed as one of the aforementioned component part substitutions in order to handle the two styles of flanges, the time to convert over and the associated cost could substantially offset the savings of using only one machine. The concern with the side rail is the amount of time which would be required to change the side rails from a Type I configuration to a Type II configuration. If two separate machines are used, then the labor time to convert from one flange style to the other is eliminated. Consequently, if the labor time needed to convert a single machine back and forth between the two flange styles become excessive, the cost savings attributable to using only a single machine will be diminished. Since the conveyor portion of the machine including the side rails requires a substantial time investment to convert back and forth between the two flange styles, it would be an improvement to the convertible machine concept of the present invention to be able to use a single style of side rail that is configured to handle either style of flange. As part of the present invention, a novel convertible flange insertion machine including this single style of side rail is provided, adding to the novelty and unobviousness of the present invention.
Moreover, in another embodiment of the present invention, a novel convertible flange insertion machine with a pusher mechanism is provided. The pusher mechanism of the present invention can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to the side rails for the prevention of xe2x80x9cpiggy-backing.xe2x80x9d In one embodiment, the pusher mechanism is constructed and arranged to accommodate two styles of flanges with minimal adaptation. In another embodiment, the pusher mechanism accommodates two styles of flanges without making any substantial adjustment to the pusher mechanism to index the flanges into position for placement into the drum heads. In yet another embodiment, the pusher mechanism accommodates flanges that are in a relatively xe2x80x9cpiggy-backedxe2x80x9d configuration and provides relatively error free handling and exact placement for any flange in a typical flange insertion machine. In yet another embodiment, the pusher mechanism has a formed first pusher member adapted to engage a first flange style at a first position and a second flange style at a second position to index the flanges to a desired specified location regardless of the style of flange used. Since extensive interchange or adjustments to an indexing apparatus to convert between two flange styles would involve a substantial time investment, it would be an improvement to the convertible machine concept of the present invention to be able to use a single indexer that is configured to handle either style of flange. As a part of the present invention, a convertible flange insertion machine with this pusher mechanism is provided, adding to the novelty and unobviousness of the present invention.
The present invention comprises a novel apparatus for the insertion of internally threaded flanges into the drum head of a shipping container
In one embodiment the apparatus is convertible from running a first flange style to running a second flange style without making substantial structural changes to the machine when converting between flange styles.
In another embodiment a convertible flange insertion machine comprises a first conveyor for transport of a drum head to a flange insertion station, a second conveyor for transport of a flange to the flange insertion station, a tooling arrangement comprising a portion of the flange insertion station and including an upper tooling portion located on one side of the drum head and a lower tooling portion located on an opposite side of the drum head when the drum head is located at the flange insertion station, wherein at least one of the upper and lower tooling portions is constructed and arranged to move toward the drum head and to install a flange into the drum head, and wherein the second conveyor includes a side rail which is constructed and arranged to guide the flange to the flange insertion station, the side rail having a first guiding portion designed to accommodate a first style of flange and having a second guiding portion to accommodate a second style of flange, the side rail being suitable for two different styles of flange without needing to be modified.
A convertible, flange insertion machine for the installation of an internally-threaded flange into a drum head of a shipping container is also provided comprising a first conveyor for transport of a drum head to a flange insertion station, a second conveyor for transport of a flange to the flange insertion station, a tooling arrangement including an upper tooling portion located on one side of the drum head and a lower tooling portion located on an opposite side of the drum head when the drum head is located at the flange insertion station for inserting flanges into the drum head, and an indexing arrangement for sequentially advancing flanges for insertion between the upper and lower tooling portions and comprising a portion of the flange insertion station, where the indexing arrangement accommodates two different flange styles without the need to make any structural changes to the indexing arrangement when converting the machine from running a first flange style to running a second flange style.
In another embodiment, a convertible flange and drum head delivery machine for the delivery of internally-threaded flanges for insertion into a drum head of a shipping container is provided including a drum head conveyor, a flange conveyor that is adapted to transport flanges according to two different flange styles, a tooling arrangement for inserting flanges into drum heads that includes an upper tooling portion located on one side of the drum head and a lower tooling portion located on an opposite side of the drum head when the drum head is located at the flange insertion station, an indexing arrangement located along the flange conveyor for sequentially advancing flanges for insertion between the upper and lower tooling portions, a tooling block driver for operating assemblies to inserting flanges between the upper and lower tooling portions, wherein the flange delivery machine is convertible from running a first flange style to running a second flange style without needing any structural changes to the conveyors.
In another embodiment, a convertible flange and drum head delivery machine for the delivery of internally-threaded flanges for insertion into a drum head of a shipping container is provided including a drum head conveyor, a flange conveyor that is adapted to transport flanges according to two different flange styles, a tooling arrangement for inserting flanges into drum heads that includes an upper tooling portion located on one side of the drum head and a lower tooling portion located on an opposite side of the drum head when the drum head is located at the flange insertion station, an indexing arrangement located along the flange conveyor for sequentially advancing flanges for insertion between the upper and lower tooling portions, a tooling block driver for operating assemblies to inserting flanges between the upper and lower tooling portions, wherein the flange delivery machine is convertible from running a first flange style to running a second flange style without needing any structural changes to the indexing arrangement.
In a fifth embodiment, a convertible flange and drum head delivery machine for the delivery of internally-threaded flanges for insertion into a drum head of a shipping container is provided including a drum head conveyor, a flange conveyor that is adapted to transport flanges according to two different flange styles, a tooling arrangement for inserting flanges into drum heads that includes an upper tooling portion located on one side of the drum head and a lower tooling portion located on an opposite side of the drum head when the drum head is located at the flange insertion station, an indexing arrangement located along the flange conveyor for sequentially advancing flanges for insertion between the upper and lower tooling portions, a tooling block driver for operating assemblies to inserting flanges between the upper and lower tooling portions, wherein the flange delivery machine is convertible from running a first flange style to running a second flange style without needing any structural changes to the tooling block driver.
A sixth embodiment of the invention provides a method of installing internally threaded flanges into the drum head of a shipping container and includes providing a drum head conveyor and a flange conveyor for transporting a drum head and two different style flanges to a flange insertion station, providing a tooling arrangement at the flange insertion station for inserting flanges into the drum head, transporting a drum head to the flange insertion station, transporting a flange according to a first flange style to the flange insertion station on the flange conveyor, placing the first flange into the tooling arrangement, inserting the flange into the drum head, transporting a flange according to a second flange style to the flange insertion station on the flange conveyor, placing the second flange into the tooling arrangement, inserting the second flange into a drum head with the tooling arrangement.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved, convertible, flange insertion machine.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.